Coming Home
by AJlove
Summary: After having her heart broken by the Boy Who Lived, Ginny Weasley is about to realize that love was right in front of her the whole time. Draco/Ginny


It wasn't supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to get married to the man of her dreams, have a few children, and live happily ever after. They'd fought against all the odds and come out stronger on the other side. Even when he'd called it off with her at the end of her fifth year so that he could go off and save the world, she knew that they would still eventually get back together and be a family. So why was it that she was now alone?

Cho Chang.

Those two words, one name, were why she was now alone and so utterly despondent that she hadn't left her bed in almost a week. She'd blocked her Floo, called off from work, and warded her flat to the point that only one person outside of the Gringott's curse breakers would be able to get around them. Then she had drawn the curtains closed before flopping down onto her bed and hiding under the covers. She felt like her world was ending. Her future was nothing but darkness. So she found solace in the darkness of her bedroom.

She didn't know what day it was when the light tapping of knuckles sounded on the back of her bedroom door, but she without a doubt knew who it was that was doing the knocking.

'Ginny?' came the concerned, yet familiar voice. 'Ginny, love, you best get out of bed and let me in or I won't hesitate to blast a hole through this door just to get to you.'

It took only a moment for the wards to be taken down before the brunette witch opened the door and allowed light to enter the bedroom for first time in days. Ginny Weasley was just replacing her wand on the nightstand, her head still buried under the blankets when Hermione Granger first sat, and then lied down on the bed next to her. Then the floodgates opened. Ginny didn't know how long the sobs wracked her body, but her friend held her the whole time. Neither witch spoke until the younger girl's tears stopped and her breathing returned to normal. Only then did Hermione let her go and stand up.

'I'm going to make some tea while you get around. May I suggest a shower and a toothbrush?' Her tone was light, almost teasing, and so Ginny stood up and made her way out the door behind Hermione, ducking into the bathroom while the older witch continued down the hall to the kitchen. Ginny stood before her mirror only long enough to cringe at the sight that met her eyes. Then she walked with a purpose into the shower and made herself presentable. After brushing her teeth, the ginger girl walked back to her bedroom long enough to get dressed before heading out to the kitchen to face the inevitable.

The mug was warm between her hands and she seemed to find the contrast between the dark liquid and light cup rather interesting as she spoke. She revealed that the first day after it happened, she'd been in shock and denial over the whole thing. She'd expected him to rush into her flat, burst into her bedroom, and plead with her, simultaneously apologizing and explaining how it was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Then her emotions morphed into hope and fear, thinking that maybe he'd been abducted by some rogue Death Eater and that it wasn't really him that she had seen tangled up with the dark haired Ravenclaw on the morning that he was supposed to be marrying her. Of course that passed quickly as she realized that he had always had something for his fellow Seeker. Even though things hadn't worked out between them in his fifth year, it was apparent that things were working out now.

'I just can't believe I didn't see it before,' Ginny lamented. 'I mean, the signs were there. They were on the same team in the Auror department. He was always defending her, going out for drinks with her, talking about her…' Ginny sighed. 'I just thought that maybe if I stayed there, waiting for him like I always had, that he would finally realize that I was what he wanted! I didn't listen, though. All the signs were there, everyone saw them but me. Even you told me that you'd seen them together and still I didn't listen! But I know that I'm not at fault here, so you can save me that particular speech.'

Hermione allowed a slight smile for her friend. 'It's entirely his loss. You don't need him! And I had no intention of telling you that it wasn't your fault. I knew that if I gave you enough time alone, you would reach that conclusion on your own. You're a brilliant woman, Ginny. There are hundreds of wizards out there who would just love you have you in their lives!'

Ginny smiled out of habit, not fully believing her friend, but not willing to deny it either. She'd seen the looks that she was given when she would walk around Diagon Alley. Since she'd finished school and fully grown into her form, she definitely fell into the category of what most wizards considered attractive. Her long red locks were poker straight and glittered with gold in the sunlight, while her green eyes twinkled with the life and knowledge of someone many years older than she was. There had to be someone out there for her…didn't there?

The two witches finished their tea as their conversation dissolved into all the different ways they would love to see karma come back on Harry Potter and Cho Chang. There was laughing and joviality between them and when the cups had gone cold, the tea long gone, and the hour late, Hermione excused herself. She promised to return the following day to take Ginny out on the town in order to celebrate her newfound freedom from the repression of an unrequited relationship with the Savior of the Wizarding World.

It had been six months since Ginny had allowed herself back out onto the market, as Hermione referred to it. They had gone out every other week, but not always in the Wizarding world. There had been some nice guys out there, but nothing that really struck Ginny's fancy. It was almost as if she were waiting for something, but what it could be, she wasn't sure. She discovered a lot about herself in those months, learning that she was less like her mother than she'd originally thought. While she still wanted a family, she now knew that she didn't want to start that family any time soon. She also knew that she wanted to work and not play hausfrau. Hermione said that she was proud of the younger witch, that she had really come into her own in the past six months, but Ginny still wasn't feeling fully there yet.

The truth of the matter was that no matter how much she tried to tell herself she was over the heartbreak of losing Harry, every time she saw him in the news with Cho just seemed to reopen the wound. The worst of it had happened just that morning when news of their elopement had hit the Daily Prophet. Accompanying the article was a picture of the happy couple together, Harry standing behind Cho with his hands wrapped protectively around the slight bulge on the woman's stomach. Then Ginny had gone to work only to be assaulted with the pitying looks of everyone she passed. But the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back came while attempting to bury herself under a pile of paperwork.

'Weasley,' came the drawling tones of none other than Draco Malfoy.

'Malfoy,' she responded. 'What are you doing here? Don't you knock? This is a private office, you know.'

'Would you really take that tone with your employer?' he asked, sounding mildly affronted yet strangely amused.

Ginny scoffed. 'You aren't my employer. Your father is. Now what do you want?'

'As chance has it, I happen to have an appointment with you today. Or had you forgotten, what with all the news of your lover-boy in the Prophet?'

Ginny's forehead hit the mound of paper separating her head from her desk and the well opened once again. Her cheeks flooded with embarrassment. What was she doing crying in front of Draco Malfoy? Why was she crying at work? And most importantly, what was she doing crying, once again, over Harry Bleeding Potter? Just as she was wishing for the floor to open up and swallow her whole, she felt a warm hand on her back.

'Listen, Weasley. I'm – I'm sorry, alright? You know I don't like that prat any more than you do.'

She sniffled and tried to get her emotions under control. Looking up into the cool grey eyes above her, she was brought back to a frequent argument that she and Harry had often had. While she always wondered what he got up to with his work partner, now wife, he'd always counter with the amount of time she was spending with Draco Malfoy. Shortly after she had finished school, Ginny had taken a position as an auditor with the Ministry, but soon discovered that she preferred the private sector over the daily Ministry ins and outs. Her skills were top notch and she was quickly hired by the Malfoy family to help keep their family's accounting firm on its toes. It had taken over a year, but she and the Malfoy heir had gone from cool civility to friendly colleagues. It was a sore spot for Harry, and a huge point of contention in Ginny's relationship with him. Harry had hated the fact that she was friendly with the family that had tried to have her killed. Ginny constantly told him that people changed and that reparations had long since been made. He didn't care and came very close to giving her an ultimatum on numerous occasions. It was just another in a long line of problems that she'd been too blinded by love to see.

'-off if that would work better for you.'

There was a pause as Ginny realized that Draco had been talking to her while she'd been reminiscing on her relationship with the various men in her life. Her cheeks flamed and she felt a blush rise on her chest and neck. Knowing that there was no way of hiding the fact that she'd not been listening, she opted for honesty.

'I'm sorry, Draco. My mind is elsewhere today. What did you say?'

Draco chuckled a bit and looked at her with the famous Malfoy smirk firmly in place. 'Elsewhere, huh? Off on some tropical island plotting the demise of a certain scar head?' He paused briefly, watching her noncommittal nod before continuing. 'Want some company?'

Ginny looked up at Draco, who had taken up sitting on a corner of her desk. The two shared a serious look for a moment before they both burst out into laughter. Just as they were trying to contain their mirth, there was knocking on Ginny's office door and another blond made his way into her office.

'I seem to have missed what appears to have been a rather amusing punch line.'

'Sorry, Father,' came Draco's reply. 'Miss Weasley isn't having the best morning and I was attempting to cheer her up a bit.'

Lucius regarded the pair with mild amusement. 'No doubt your attempts had something to do with the demise of a certain hero?' Both Ginny and Draco lowered their heads guiltily. 'I see. Well, if I might make a suggestion: we really aren't too terribly busy today, Miss Weasley. Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Rest, relax, and clear your head before the Masquerade Ball Sunday evening.'

'Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, but your son had an appointment and I really should see to him before I head out. Perhaps after I've finished with him I will take my leave?'

Lucius nodded to the red head, said a polite goodbye, and left the office. Draco stood from his temporary seat on the edge of Ginny's desk and moved around to the chair she kept for visitors. Ginny, for her part, began to peruse the piles of parchment before her, taking time to sort them into specific piles for later use. Once she had cleared a sizeable area on her desk, she turned back to the younger Malfoy and gave him her full attention.

'So, what did you wish to see me about today, Malfoy?' she inquired in a polite and professional tone.

Draco seemed pensive for a moment. 'Have lunch with me.'

'I – I thought you needed something?' Ginny replied.

'I do,' Draco said with a smile. 'I need you to have lunch with me. Listen, There really is a business matter we need to discuss, but it can be done over lunch. Besides, I know you haven't eaten yet. …so come to lunch with me.'

By way of an answer, Ginny took her wand out and pointed it at her desk. Both watched as all her filed tidied themselves and before too much time had passed, they were on their way to a family-style Italian restaurant not too far from the Leaky Cauldron. Ginny ordered the meat lasagna while Draco ordered some pasta dish with mushrooms that Ginny forgot the name of as soon as he said the name of it. Draco took care of the wine order, and the two proceeded to spend the next two and a half hours eating, drinking, and enjoying each other's company. As it turned out, he had needed to speak with her about a new project that he was hoping she would help with him regarding a company he was trying to purchase. Once they worked out the details, the conversation turned to every subject imaginable, from Quidditch to the war to reminiscing about the old days of House rivalry at Hogwarts and how stupid they all were at that age. Before too long, the crowd was starting to thicken with the dinner rush and the two parted ways, promising to speak again before the Ball at his father's Manor.

A few hours later, as Ginny was getting ready for bed, an owl tapped at her bedroom window. She let the brown and grey bird in and gave the creature a treat before untying the missive and sending the owl back to its owner. Flipping the letter over, she recognized the Malfoy insignia in the deep red wax.

[i]Weasley,

I hate to do this to you heading into such a busy weekend, but I am going to need you to go through a few books for me before the Ball on Sunday. The deal I was telling you about over lunch is going through a lot more quickly than I'd originally planned, so I'm going to be leaving England this evening in order to get everything in line for the final paperwork to be signed first thing on Monday morning. As the company is still rather small, it shouldn't take a witch of your measure all too long to sort them out. I will await your word on whether or not all is clear to go ahead with this. You can inform me at the Manor on Sunday evening, as I will be home in time for the grand party. I anxiously await our next meeting.

Yours -

DM[/i]

Ginny sighed, the parchment falling from her hands onto her nightstand. While it didn't happen often, she had occasionally worked a Saturday or two since joining the Malfoy Financial Team, as she liked to call it. The problem with this particular Saturday was that she had already made plans with Hermione to go shopping for a costume to wear to the Malfoy Ball on Sunday night. She knew that she was procrastination something fierce on this, but she'd had no idea what she wanted to dress up like. Truth be told, she still didn't know, but now she was out of time. Draco had said that the company was rather small, so maybe there was a chance she could still keep her date and get her work done. She would just have to wait until the books arrived in the morning. She only hoped that it would be Draco who would deliver the books via Floo. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, least of all the man himself, she'd really grown quite fond of him during her time working for his father. She just didn't think he felt the same way. Oh well. At least she got to see him often at work. Right now, though, she needed to figure out how she was going to accomplish all she needed to do that weekend…

But in the midst of all the planning she was trying to do, she'd failed to notice the way he'd signed the letter.

Six-thirty in the evening on Sunday found Ginny seated on her sofa, fastening her shoes and talking to Hermione Granger about the insanity of the weekend that was still going on. The books had arrived just five minutes before Ginny was due to meet Hermione at the Leaky to head out shopping, so there was no way to back out of the date. Fortunately for Ginny, there were only five books to go through. The girls found their costumes in near record time, both opting for a more Elizabethan look complete with elaborate headdresses, while choosing basic black masks that concealed only the area around their eyes. Both witches were well known for their hair, Hermione with her wild locks and Ginny with the signature Weasley red, so the headdresses would help conceal their identities before the planned big reveal at eleven.

'I don't understand why we're to reveal our identities at eleven,' Hermione said while the witches waited for their portkey to activate. 'I mean, isn't midnight usually when it's done?'

'Midnight?' Ginny actually laughed at this. 'Why in the name of Merlin's left shoe would you want to wait until the party was over to reveal yourself? If you lose the disguise at eleven, then you still have an hour to party as yourself and maybe even get to know the mysterious bloke you'd been chatting up all night?'

Ginny waggled her eyebrows and both witches fell into a fit of giggles. As they were laughing, Hermione wand began to vibrate a bit, alerting the girls that they had less than a minute before the portkey would activate. After making a few last second costume adjustments, they both placed a finger on a pair of broken sunglasses and were whisked away to the gates of Malfoy Manor.

The Ball was magnificent. While Ginny was sure that she had to know most of the people there, she couldn't be completely certain. Everyone was in costume and exceedingly well disguised. At either end of the ballroom, you could find a fully stocked bar that catered to all your beverage needs. In between, there were plenty of tables placed just close enough to encourage conversation while not being so close that you felt on top of the people seated nearby. A large dance floor was strategically placed in the center of the room with a live 12 piece orchestra set up against the wall to provide musical entertainment. The dinner was a scrumptious affair, the wine flowing generously, and before long it was time for dancing.

The two witches stuck close by, neither Ginny nor Hermione all that willing to go off on their own when they didn't know for sure who they would be interacting with. Perhaps it was a throwback to the war, which had ended a few years before, but it was what it was. It was just gone ten when the pair found themselves conversing with two men who had set themselves apart from the group, almost as if they were observing rather than enjoying. It had been Hermione idea to approach the pair, but soon Ginny realized that she didn't mind at all. Hermione had convinced her to dance with the slightly taller of the two men and that was how she had spent most of the time leading up to the eleven o'clock reveal.

Ginny and the mystery man, who was dressed to the nines in a regal looking costume complete with a mask adorned with peacock feathers, seemed to get on exceedingly well. They spoke of everything and nothing, dancing closer and closer with each passing song. There was a part of her that felt she should keep away from the stranger because of her feelings for Draco, but the more she looked up into the blue eyes of the man she was with, the more she thought that perhaps there was more to this disguise than she'd initially thought.

Somewhere nearby, a clock struck the hour and everyone got quiet. The man Ginny had been dancing with took her hand and led her closer to the stage where the orchestra was set. When they arrived at the edge of the stage, Ginny noticed that Hermione was actually on the stage, holding hands with none other than Lucius Malfoy. Judging by the familiar costume, Ginny would wager that this had been who Hermione had been dancing with for most of the evening. Meeting the older witch's eyes, Ginny smiled and nodded, showing her approval of the relationship. As Hermione's face broke out into a huge smile, Lucius gave the command for all in attendance to remove their masks.

Ginny hesitated. Her mouth was dry and her palms were sweaty. She had known. Deep down, all evening, she had known with whom she was dancing, but she didn't want to admit it. It couldn't be possible. Even as the man in question was putting his arms around her from behind, she was holding her breath and mentally pinching herself as if to wake up from a dream.

'Come on, Ginny,' came the soft voice by her ear. 'I haven't seen your face since we left our lunch date on Friday. Are you really going to make me wait any longer?'

A single tear fell from her eyes as she slowly turned around in his arms. She found warmth and even adoration in his familiar grey eyes. He pulled her close to him and it felt like coming home. While the rest of the room was gasping in surprise or having a laugh over incorrect guesses, all Ginny could do was to hold her breath and lick her lips as the man who had forced her back into humanity after her breakup with Harry lowered his mouth to hers. When their lips met for the first time, she knew that this was where she belonged…with Draco Malfoy.


End file.
